South Africa rolls out twice-yearly HIV prevention drug
The rollout begins with 37,920 doses and aims to expand access for high-risk groups as U.S. funding cuts and high prices limit supply.
- On Friday, June 5, 2026, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi launched lenacapavir in Secunda, making the twice-yearly HIV-prevention injection available at 360 public clinics in high-burden districts.
- Two 2024 studies found lenacapavir nearly 100% effective in preventing HIV infection, addressing adherence challenges with daily oral PrEP. South Africa faces the world's largest HIV burden, with over 140,000 new infections annually.
- Funded by a $29 million Global Fund grant, the government is distributing 37,920 doses across 360 facilities, prioritizing adolescent girls and young women up to age 24 years, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and key populations.
- While the rollout marks progress, Dr. Saiqa Mullick, a PrEP specialist at Wits RHI, warns that current supplies are insufficient, with critics asserting at least 2 million doses annually are necessary to significantly affect new infection rates.
- South Africa aims to reach 3 million people within three years as it prepares for the UN High-Level Meeting on AIDS from June 22–23 in New York, with modeling suggesting an ambitious rollout could reduce new infections by around 30% over 20 years.
43 Articles
43 Articles
South Africa: Activists Call for Greater Access to Newly-Launched HIV Prevention Drug
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi at the official launch of the new injectable drug for HIV prevention, Lenacapavir. Credit: GCISBy Ed HoltBRATISLAVA, Jun 9 2026 (IPS) As South Africa officially launches the rollout of a groundbreaking HIV prevention drug, civic groups in the country have slammed the plan, saying it will not reach anywhere near enough people. President Cyril Ramaphosa on June 5 launche…
Highly effective Lenacapavir HIV prevention drug arrives in South Africa
SECUNDA, South Africa: Growing up witnessing the devastating effects of HIV in her family and community in South Africa pushed Olwam Plaatjie to start using preventive HIV medications three years ago."Sometimes they’d lose weight, they would get sick and have to go to the clinic, and I didn’t want that for me,” she told The Associated Press. "I’d see the people I live with taking (antiretroviral) pills for HIV every day, and I knew I wouldn’t be…
Associated Press News
Highly effective prevention drug arrives in South Africa, which has world's highest HIV burden
South Africa is rolling out lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable drug for HIV prevention that the president calls a turning point in a country with the world’s highest burden of HIV.
Ramaphosa hails Lenacapavir roll out as turning point in HIV fight
A twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug has arrived in South Africa. The rollout of the drug, lenacapavir, is underway in the country that needs it the most, about a-year-and-a-half after US aid cuts hit some of its HIV programmes.
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